In a remote village nestled near the base of a looming hill, a thick forest spread its gnarled branches like skeletal fingers. Locals whispered of ghosts that roamed the shadows, their presence sending shivers down the spines of anyone who dared venture near.

Legend had it that these restless spirits were once villagers themselves, lost to the darkness that lurked in the heart of the woods. As night fell, an eerie silence blanketed the area, broken only by the distant cries of nocturnal creatures and the rustle of unseen movements in the underbrush.

One...